The Lake District Wildlife Park welcomed back its first visitors yesterday following the Government’s go ahead for zoos and animal attractions to reopen.
Staff at the park at Bassenthwaite near Keswick have been working over the last few weeks to meet new health and safety requirements. Although the outdoor play area, the indoor soft play area and café are still closed, the attraction’s toilets are open and visitors are being encouraged to bring a picnic to enjoy in the open air. The two-metre social distancing measures, but some animal demonstrations are able to go ahead outdoors.
Richard and his staff have been working closely with its health and safety advisers and with Allerdale Borough Council who issue zoo licenses.
The park’s education coordinator Lucy Dunn said: “We want to get the positive message across that we are open and people can come along and enjoy a nice, safe day out. We have summer babies in abundance, including three of the cutest baby lemurs, a trio of piglets and a zebra foal born in the last few weeks which will be here to welcome visitors.”
Richard Robinson, who has managed the wildlife park for more than 20 years, said: “Our main endeavour is to protect our staff to make sure we can work effectively and protect our public from any risk from us to them and them to us and amongst each other. Obviously, the social distancing guidelines are starkly in place for the wildlife park.
“The two-metre rule applies right through the entire visit. There are sneeze guards up in reception, hand sanitisers and hand washing facilities. We’ve had much of that in place already being an animal attraction.”
Mr Robinson added: “We need visitors. we need guests to come back to the park. But we do need people to do that in a respectful and curious and safe way. It’s not about lining the pockets, it’s about making sure the park can survive through the next number of months.”
